SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAM HANDBOOK DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY TULANE UNIVERSITY Academic Year

Transcription

1 SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAM HANDBOOK DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY TULANE UNIVERSITY Academic Year 1

2 The Department of Psychology at Tulane University offers doctoral training in School Psychology. The program is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the American Psychological Association ( ; through For new graduate students, completion of the Ph.D. program requires approximately five years representing four years of course work and a year of internship. For students coming into the program with a Master's degree in school psychology or a closely related field, prior course work will be evaluated by the Department for possible transfer credit. The Department does not offer a terminal Master's degree program in school psychology. This handbook should be used as a program-specific supplement to the general information provided in the Department s Graduate Training Handbook. All of the information and forms contained in this document can also be accessed online through the School Psychology Program website. Program Philosophy and Training The School Psychology Program at Tulane University follows an ecologically-grounded scientist-practitioner model of training. The Program emphasizes sensitivity to the ecological systems surrounding the child, with a particular emphasis on the contexts of development and culture. Specifically, the goal of our training is to prepare professionals who are sensitive to the complex interplay of biological, cultural, economic, social, and psychological influences that contribute to child development. The educational philosophy that serves as the foundation of this training specifies that the development of expected competencies must be met through student exposure to and engagement with multiple disciplines, research methodologies, and practice contexts. We are firm in our commitment to produce broadly trained psychologists who possess the requisite and unique skills necessary to further the knowledge base in psychology and education and to provide professional services to a wide range of children and adolescents in the variety of settings where they develop. Through a variety of courses, students learn the knowledge base and methods for scientific inquiry that allows them to broadly consider the influence of development, culture, and ecological systems in their professional and research activities. These key foundational components mutually inform the program goals related specifically to professional practice and research. In brief, the goals of the training program are to build competence in assessment, intervention and research, each mutually informed by consideration of the contexts of development, culture, and other ecological systems. Applied skills are developed through year long practicum placements. Practicum experiences are matched to student skill levels, with students broadening their applied experiences as they develop new skills. Throughout the practica, faculty members provide students with close supervision. The School Psychology Program at Tulane has the advantage of being located within the Department of Psychology. The resources of the Department are available to students, both in terms of faculty guidance and supervision and in terms of physical resources such as microcomputer and main frame computer facilities, videotaping equipment, and experimental rooms for collecting data. There are ongoing research programs in the Department in areas of psychology such as social, developmental, physiological, cognitive, quantitative, neuroscience, and industrial/organizational. Students in the School Psychology Program may draw upon the faculty in these areas in pursuing their interests. In addition, the Psychology Department maintains affiliations with schools, hospitals, and clinics that provide a wide variety of research and training opportunities with ethnically and culturally diverse populations. Below are the substantive areas of professional psychology for which we prepare students to enter the field. Each of the six training goals listed above is associated with specific competencies expected of program graduates, which are outlined below. 2

3 1. Developmentally Informed Research and Practice. Program graduates will: A. Understand normative development, including milestones and developmental sequences. B. Apply and integrate knowledge from other core psychological domains to understand developmental processes. C. Understand how developmental processes are influenced by and interact with culture and context. D. Utilize a developmental psychopathology perspective to understand maladjustment. E. Understand developmental research methods and conduct ethical and developmentally sensitive research. 2. Ecologically-grounded Research and Practice. Program graduates will: A. Engage in research and practice that is sensitive to the microsystems that surround the developing child. B. Engage in research and practice that is sensitive to the mesosystem and strive to strengthen the connections within that system. C. Engage in research and practice that is sensitive to exosystem influences on child development and strive to become advocates for change within those social structures, as needed. D. Engage in research and practice that is sensitive to macrosystem influences on child development and understand the reciprocal relations between research, practice, and social policy. 3. Culturally Informed Research and Practice. Program graduates will: A. Recognize ethnicity and culture as significant factors in understanding psychological processes and behavior. B. Demonstrate an awareness of how one s own cultural background, attitudes, values, and biases influence psychological research and practice. C. Be open to educational and training experiences and demonstrate a willingness to learn about diverse cultures. D. Use knowledge of the role of culture in interactions in work as a professional. E. Recognize the limitations of their competencies and expertise. F. Demonstrate an understanding of and respect for cultural differences in research and practice and abide by APA s Guidelines on Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice, and Organizational Change for Psychologists. 4. Psychological Assessment. Program graduates will: A. Engage in assessment as a method of hypothesis generation and testing. B. Follow guidelines for nondiscriminatory, reliable and valid assessment as outlined by the ethical guidelines of the APA and the NASP, as well as State and Federal laws. C. Competently select, administer, interpret, and psychometrically evaluate psychological tests to facilitate the design and evaluation of interventions. D. Conduct developmentally, culturally, and ecologically sensitive interviews and assessments with children, adolescents, and adults. E. Integrate data from multiple sources to inform case conceptualization, differential diagnoses, and treatment recommendations. F. Communicate assessment findings and recommendations to clients, families, and other professionals in both written and oral formats. G. Conduct assessment activities in a manner consistent with the values and ethics of integrity and responsibility. H. Relate effectively and meaningfully with clients, families, staff, and other professionals to carry out assessment activities. 5. Prevention and Intervention. Program graduates will: 3

4 A. Understand the theoretical foundations and procedural strategies of various approaches to interventions. B. Conceptualize treatment goals and develop interventions based on the literature on empirically supported treatments. C. Understand the roles of surrounding ecological systems on intervention efforts and acknowledge that change is mutually influenced by developmental, ecological, and social therapeutic interventions. D. Select, design, and provide developmentally, culturally, and ecologically sensitive individual psychotherapy and family/school based interventions. E. Monitor and evaluate treatment progress and effectiveness. F. Provide consultation services that are ecologically and culturally sensitive. G. Follow ethical guidelines of the APA and the NASP, as well as State and Federal laws, in the provision of prevention, intervention, and consultation services. H. Conduct intervention activities in a manner consistent with the values and ethics of integrity and responsibility. I. Relate effectively and meaningfully with clients, families, staff, and other professionals to carry out intervention activities. 6. Research and Evaluation. Program graduates will: A. Demonstrate an understanding of various methodologies and statistics used in applied and basic research. B. Understand, employ and critically evaluate methodology to determine treatment effectiveness. C. Demonstrate the ability to design, evaluate, and conduct research studies that are sensitive to development, culture, and ecological systems. D. Conduct nondiscriminatory research in accordance with the ethical guidelines of the APA and the NASP, as well as State and Federal laws. E. Contribute to new knowledge base within the fields of psychology and education. F. Conduct research activities in a manner consistent with the values and ethics of integrity and responsibility. Student Advisement Students receive initial advisement from the Program Director. No later than the second semester of the student's first year of study, students will select a major advisor. Students are expected to follow the typical course sequence presented in Appendix B. If exceptions to that sequence are necessary, they must be made in consultation with the Program Director and the major advisor. Students in the School Psychology program need not complete the formal SPEC plan outlined in the Department s Graduate Training Handbook. Coursework The curriculum is designed to provide a broad-based knowledge of psychological research and theory, as well as training in professional issues and skills. Both within the School Psychology Program and within the Department of Psychology, classes at the graduate level are small and are often conducted in a seminar format so as to actively involve students in the learning experience. Course offerings and curriculum requirements are listed in Appendix A and a typical course sequence is presented in Appendix B. In the case of a graduate student entering with graduate-level work from another university, upon request by the student the Program Director, in consultation with the other School Psychology faculty, will make recommendations to the Graduate Training Committee by the end 4

5 of the first semester as to which courses should be credited toward the Tulane doctorate. To receive credit for prior coursework, the approval of the professor teaching the course equivalent in our program must be obtained by the student before consideration is made by the Program Director. Once transfer requests have been approved by the Graduate Training Committee, that committee will seek approval from SSE's graduate division. In general, 12 credits may be transferred to the M.S. degree; 24 may be transferred to the Ph.D. degree. Trauma Specialization During their first year in the program, students can apply to complete the trauma specialization. With an increased focus on school safety and an increased awareness of trauma exposure among youth, the need for trauma-focused training within the field of school psychology has emerged as critically important. Doctoral students completing this specialized training will be prepared to deliver comprehensive school mental health services with the goals of preventing trauma and treating youth exposed to trauma. Doctoral students will also emerge with the skill set to train practitioners how to create and deliver these services in public charter schools, which are becoming a centerpiece of educational reform across the country. Elements of the specialized training include: Specialized Coursework Stress and Trauma Crisis Intervention College Teaching Pedagogy & Practicum One additional methodology/statistics course beyond current requirements Specialized Training in Evidence-Based Interventions NASP PREPaRE Model CBITS GTI TF-CBT Specialized Practicum Doctoral students will complete two years of practicum with community agencies providing trauma-focused comprehensive school mental health services in New Orleans public schools. Doctoral students will also team-teach a course to develop teaching skills. Mentoring around Trauma-Related Activities Doctoral students will participate in monthly meetings with faculty and students involved in the specialized training where they have the opportunity to seek mentoring on issues related to practicum, research, teaching, and self-care. Research Requirement Students are required to be engaged in research during every year of graduate training. The faculty require active student involvement in the research process and students are expected to join and attend the meetings of relevant professional and research organizations (e.g., American Psychological Association, Society for Research on Child Development, Society for Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology). In addition, we expect students to seek out and take 5

6 advantage of opportunities to co-author presentations and workshops at professional meetings as well as journal articles and book chapters for publication. All students are required to complete a Master's thesis and Doctoral dissertation following Departmental guidelines. The following are timelines for the completion of these requirements. Students are encouraged to complete the Master s degree requirements before beginning their third year of study. To be considered in good academic standing, students must complete their Master s degree requirements no later than the end of the fifth semester of study. The faculty will review theses of students entering the program who have earned a Master's degree elsewhere to determine if the theses satisfy departmental research requirements. Students are referred to the Department s Graduate Training Handbook for specific procedural guidelines. Students are expected to propose their dissertation prior to leaving for internship. Ideally, students will defend their dissertation prior to the internship year. Preliminary Examination Students are eligible to take the preliminary examination on recommendation from the Department faculty once they have completed the Master's degree requirements. Students must adhere closely to the research deadlines outlined in the previous section to take the preliminary examination on schedule. Students are encouraged to complete the Master s degree requirements before beginning their third year of study so they can complete the preliminary examination during the third year of study. The Master's degree requirements must be completed no later than the end of the fifth semester preceding the preliminary examination. All components of the preliminary examination must be completed by October 15 th of the fourth year of graduate study. Students who have completed the preliminary examination by this deadline are eligible to apply for internship. Students who do not meet the October 15 th deadline will not be eligible to apply for internship until the following year. The preliminary examination is composed of two components: a practice examination and a research examination, each of which are described in detail below. Both components must be satisfactorily completed before the student is judged to have passed the preliminary examination. 1. The Practice Examination. The practice examination involves a demonstration of the knowledge of important content and process issues relevant to the practice of school psychology. Students must receive a passing score on the National School Psychology Examination (NSPE) to complete this component of the preliminary examination. The passing score is set by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and may vary from year to year; it is currently 165. The NSPE is required for certification by most states and it is also required as part of the National School Psychology Certification System. The NSPE is administered by ETS as part of the Praxis program. Summary information on the content and format of the NSPE, as well as sample test items, is provided on the ETS website: The NCSP is administered five times each year for a fee and special administrations of the exam are possible, upon request. Students are responsible for the examination fee. Once students have been approved to take the preliminary exam, they may take the NSPE at the next available administration date. Online registration for the exam is available at: 6

7 Once the student has registered for the exam, this information must be filed with the Program Director (see Appendix C). The student must arrange for an official score report to be sent directly to the Program Director. As noted above, all components of the preliminary examination must be completed by October 15 th of the fourth year of study. Therefore, the Program Director must receive an official score report indicating a passing score on the NSPE by October 15 th of the fourth year. Students who do not meet this deadline will not be eligible to apply for internship in the fourth year. Students should consult the NSPE exam schedule and plan accordingly score reports arrive approximately 4 weeks after the test date. 2. The Research Examination. The research examination involves a demonstration of the ability to integrate information and critically review a body of empirical research. The research topic should be related to the area in which the student plans to conduct his or her dissertation research. Students may select one of two options to complete this component of the preliminary examination. A. The Comprehensive (Comps) Paper The comps paper is intended to assess depth of knowledge in the chosen area, and comprises the preparation of a review article sufficient in quality and scope as to merit publication in Psychological Bulletin or Psychological Review. Students are referred to APA s publication manual and the following two reference articles for specific strategies for writing a review article: Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1997). Writing narrative literature reviews. Review of General Psychology, 1, Bem, D. (1995). Writing a review article for Psychological Bulletin. Psychological Bulletin, 118, Students should select a topic for the comprehensive paper in consultation with his or her research advisor. The topic chosen should have a body of empirical research sufficient to warrant a comprehensive review. The final decision regarding the appropriateness of the breadth of the specific topic rests in the hands of the student s Comps Paper committee. Students pursuing this option must receive approval for the project (i.e., its topic, scope) from the Comps Paper committee, although a formal proposal meeting is not required. It is the responsibility of the student to form the Comps Paper committee, which must consist of at least three regular faculty members from within the Department, including the student s research advisor. A form indicating approval of the general topic and committee membership, along with a 1-page abstract outlining the scope of the paper, should be placed in the student's file and a copy of the approval should be forwarded to the School Psychology Program Director (see Appendix D). The comprehensive paper should not have been prepared for any other Program requirement or course, nor should it be simply an extension of a paper prepared for another course or requirement. The form of the paper should conform to APA style. Because good papers are potentially publishable ones, the paper must not be unwieldy in length. Papers containing more than 60 pages of text (references and tables are not counted) would need specific justification. The written comps paper may be prepared with input from the committee chair with respect to theoretical background or conceptual issues. The student must provide a copy of the final paper to each committee member no later than 5:00 p.m. on September 15 th, at the start of the student's fourth year. 7

8 The Comprehensive Paper committee will evaluate the paper and will schedule a meeting with the student within a reasonable time period (ordinarily two weeks) after the student has submitted the completed paper. Students who submit their papers during the summer will receive no guarantees from their committee members that the paper will be reviewed prior to the start of the Fall semester. The committee will design a set of questions that address the comps paper and related areas. The student's responses to these questions may be written independently as an examination or may be elicited during an oral defense, the former option provided at the discretion of the committee. In the case of a follow-up written examination, student responses to questions must be completed no later than 2 weeks following receipt of commentary from the committee. The student must successfully defend the comps paper by October 15 th of the fourth year to be eligible to apply for internship that year. The criteria used to evaluate the comps paper are based on guidelines from the APA Publication Manual (2001) and include the adequacy of: Definition and clarification of the problem. Summary of previous investigations that informs the reader of the state of current research. Identification of relations, contradictions, gaps, and inconsistencies in the literature. Discussion of next step or steps in solving the problem. Specificity and clarity of the description of the research skills and knowledge to be acquired and objective evaluation of progress in each area. Determination of a pass will rest on a 2/3 majority vote of the committee (i.e., at least two of the three members of the committee must agree on passing or failing the paper). The committee may require revisions of the document and an additional meeting prior to making a decision regarding whether the student has passed this portion of the Preliminary Examination. No further opportunities for revisions will be provided; if the student does not pass this portion of the exam even after revisions, the committee will make a decision about the student s continuation in the doctoral program. If the student is invited to stay on in the program, the student will have to select a new topic and begin the process anew. One copy of the approved paper must be put in the student's file in the Psychology Department office. A second copy must be submitted for the general file of comprehensive papers in the School Psychology Program Library. Some comps papers will be available to future students as a model for their own papers. B. The Research Grant Proposal The research grant proposal is intended to assess depth of knowledge in the chosen area, and comprises the preparation of a NRSA-grant proposal. Students are referred to the website of the National Institutes of Health for preparation guidelines: It is the responsibility of the student to form the Grant Proposal committee, which must consist of at least three regular faculty members from within the Department, including the student s research advisor. Students should select a research project in consultation with his or her research advisor. A formal proposal meeting is not required. A form indicating approval of the general topic and committee membership, along with a 1-page abstract outlining the scope of the proposal, should be placed in the student's file and a copy of the approval should be forwarded to the School Psychology Program Director (see Appendix D). The grant proposal should not have been prepared for any other Program requirement or course, nor should it be simply an extension of a grant proposal prepared for another course or 8

9 requirement. The form of the proposal must conform to NIH guidelines regarding style and length. The written grant proposal may be prepared with input from the committee chair with respect to theoretical background, research design, and analysis. The student will provide a copy of the final grant proposal to each committee member no later than 5:00 p.m. on September 15 th, at the start of the student's fourth year. Students who submit their grant proposals during the summer will receive no guarantees from their committee members that the paper will be reviewed prior to the start of the Fall semester. After all members of the committee evaluate the written proposal, the committee will design a set of questions that address the grant proposal and related areas. The student's responses to these questions may be written independently as an examination or may be elicited during an oral defense, the former option provided at the discretion of the committee. In the case of a followup written examination, student responses to questions must be completed no later than 2 weeks following receipt of commentary from the committee. The student must successfully defend the grant proposal by October 15 th of the fourth year to be eligible to apply for internship that year. The criteria used to evaluate the grant proposal will be the same as those recommended by NIH for review of NRSA applications and include the adequacy of: Objectives, design, and direction of the proposed research program. Specificity and clarity of the description of the research skills and knowledge to be acquired and objective evaluation of progress in each area. Overall coherence and potential of the research training plan to provide the fellow with individualized supervised experiences that will develop research skills. Clarity, completeness, originality, and significance of the goals of the proposed research and training plans. Knowledge of relevant literature and current methods in the proposed research area. Proposed research training to serve as a sound foundation that will lead the applicant to a productive career in mental health, drug abuse and addiction, alcohol abuse and alcoholism, or the environmental health sciences research. Plans for the protection of human subjects, animals, or the environment, to the extent they may be adversely affected by the research proposed. Plans to include women, children and minorities as subjects in research, if applicable. Plans to provide training in the responsible scientific conduct of research. Determination of a pass will rest on a 2/3 majority vote of the committee. The committee may require revisions of the document and an additional meeting prior to making a decision regarding whether the student has passed this portion of the Preliminary Examination. No further opportunities for revisions will be provided; if the student does not pass this portion of the exam even after revisions, the committee will make a decision about the student s continuation in the doctoral program. If the student is invited to stay on in the program, the student will have to select a new topic and begin the process anew. One copy of the approved proposal must be put in the student's file in the Psychology Department office. A second copy must be submitted for the general file of grant proposals in the School Psychology Program Library. Some of these proposals will be available to future students as a model for their own grant proposals. The following table provides a summary of the research and preliminary examination timelines. Program Requirement Ideal Timeline Program Deadline Masters Thesis Prior to beginning the 3 rd year End of the fifth semester 9

10 Preliminary Examination End of sixth semester Practice exam completed by September 15 th of the 4 th year Research exam turned in to committee by Sept 15 th of the 4 th year Research exam defended by October 15 th of the 4 th year Dissertation Defend dissertation prior to internship year Defend dissertation proposal before internship year Internship Begin in the 5 th year Begin in the 6 th year Those students who have completed all coursework and internship requirements but who have not completed the dissertation will be required to register for Dissertation Research. According to the policy set by the School of Science and Engineering registered students will be required to pay for 3 credit hours reflecting Dissertation Research. Following internship or at the termination of funding (TA/RA), tuition cost for Dissertation Research will be billed according to the following schedule: First academic semester (following internship/loss of TA): Second academic semester: Third academic semester: Fourth academic semester: 100% tuition scholarship 65% tuition scholarship 35% tuition scholarship No tuition scholarship Practicum Experiences Students are placed as externs at a practicum site during each of their four years of training. By the end of their training, students typically will have acquired approximately 700 hours of supervised practicum experience. Practicum experiences are organized around the specific training objectives of the Program and reflect a graduated progression through increasingly integrated and independent experiences. Practicum experiences are designed to train our students how to conduct assessment, intervention, consultation, and evaluation activities in a developmentally, culturally, and ecologically sensitive manner. Practicum sites have been selected to provide our students with exposure to the diversity of the greater New Orleans area. First year practicum experiences focus on building interviewing and assessment skills. Second year practicum experiences expand assessment skills to include behavioral assessment and externs get their first intervention experiences, including behavioral intervention and cognitivebehavior therapy. The primary focus of third year practicum experiences is the provision of prevention and intervention services, with a secondary focus on continued assessment experience. Fourth year externs gain experience providing diverse psychological services in community-based settings. Students have a voice in shaping their practicum experiences, especially within the third and fourth years. If there are particular skills students would like to acquire or particular types of clients students would like to work with, those preferences should be communicated to both the off- and on-site supervisors at the beginning of the academic year. Students must carefully track their practicum experiences each semester and account for the hours they spend in various activities. The School Psychology Program subscribes to 10

11 MyPsychTrack, which facilitates tracking of activities in a manner consistent with requirements of the APPIC internship application. Students are required to use the MyPsychTrack tracking system and to provide a summary of their practicum activities the each year using the report function. Students are expected to spend 8 hours in their practicum site each week, at minimum. At times, students have expressed interest in engaging in additional practica. Because the required practicum experiences are tailored to address a specific set of skills within the training sequence and students have demanding training schedules, it may be difficult to engage in experiences in addition to those required. Students who are in good standing with the training program and who want to explore the option of additional practicum experiences must discuss this with their advisor, prior to making any arrangements with a site. If the advisor approves the additional practicum, he or she will meet with the Program Director to discuss the student s current progress and discuss the benefits of the additional practicum for the student. If the Program Director agrees, the advisor will create a practicum guideline document to guide the practicum placement and activities, obtain agreement with the site, and is then responsible for assuring appropriate supervision is provided. Practicum experiences are supervised by psychologists or other mental health professionals at the site as well as by faculty (off-site) supervisors. We believe it is a valuable training experience for students to receive supervision from both supervisors and to learn how to navigate between professionals who may have somewhat different theoretical orientations and/or practice approaches. Expectations of students and the responsibilities of the on- and offsite supervisors are outlined in practicum guides for each site. Students and faculty review and sign these guides as the starting off point at the beginning of each academic year. Student practicum performance is evaluated annually by both supervisors and those evaluations are reviewed with the student (see Appendix E). In addition to the individual supervision, group supervision occurs every other week and involves all students and training faculty. These meetings focus on case presentations and clinical supervision, with a discussion of assessment, diagnostic, and treatment issues, outcome evaluation, and professional, ethical and legal aspects of cases. Group supervision alternates between large group meetings that generally address program issues and topics that are useful to students across all levels of training. Small group meetings are structured to address issues and topics that are typical for cohort groups who are engaged in similar practicum experiences in a given year. All students are expected to actively participate during group supervision. Students have access to assessment materials, scoring programs, and intervention resources through their sites and through the School Psychology Library. The Library is in room 3021 of Percival Stern Hall and can only be accessed by school psychology graduate students and faculty through the use of keypad combination. Materials are available on a check-out basis. Students must place a $50.00 deposit each year to access the Library. If materials have been lost, the replacement cost of materials is deducted from the general deposit pool, so that each student pays for a portion of the lost item. Deposits are returned in full at the end of the training program if no materials have been lost. If materials have been replaced, the student receives a partial refund of his or her deposit. Evaluation of Student Performance Ongoing feedback is provided to students during the course of the academic year as needed. Faculty members make every effort to give timely feedback regarding student performance 11

12 (e.g., after exams, during practicum activities, etc.). Students also have the responsibility to ask faculty members for feedback if they are unclear where they stand regarding certain performance criteria or expectations. Annual performance reviews are conducted to gauge student progress toward achieving the specific competencies outlined in our training model. The review is carried out by the entire core program faculty, who meet to review student progress in five areas: academic performance, practicum and professional competence, research progress, professional activities, and teaching assistant performance (if applicable; some students are supported through other mechanisms). The minimum thresholds of achievement in the area of academic performance are course grades of B or higher and a passing score on the Praxis School Psychology exam (taken as part of the preliminary exam); in practicum and professional competence, consistent performance of behavioral indicators on competency evaluation rating forms (behavior present > 80% of the time); in research progress, summative evaluations of passing performance for thesis and dissertation proposal and defense meetings and on research portion of preliminary exam; in professional activities, membership in local, regional, and national organizations and participation in their annual meetings; and in teaching assistant performance, consistent performance of behavioral indicators on evaluation rating forms. Student failure to meet the minimum threshold of achievement in any of these five areas triggers a discussion regarding student remediation and possible termination. In deciding whether to provide opportunities for remediation versus termination of the student, the core program faculty consider the number of domains in which the student failed to meet minimum thresholds of performance, the proximity of the student s performance to the minimum threshold, the factors that might have contributed to the failure, and the supports that would be necessary to remediate the performance. Immediate termination can occur in cases of egregious violations of the University Honor Code or Professional Codes of Ethics and in cases where the student earns a majority of failing grades. Program decisions regarding remediation and termination are subject to a vote of the entire Departmental faculty. Based on a review of the data and faculty discussion, the Program Director, with input from the major advisor, compiles the performance information into a letter that outlines the concerns of the faculty and the decision regarding the need for remediation or termination. Remediation plans are communicated in this letter and reviewed with the student. A timeline for review of progress toward remediation is also communicated in the letter. Failure to follow through with or make adequate progress in the remediation plan will result in termination from the program. Students have the right to appeal a specific grade assignment and the procedures to do so are outlined in the Departmental Appeal and Grievance Procedures ( Based on those procedures, a student who is dissatisfied with a grade must first discuss the complaint with the professor. If the complaint is not resolved, the student must next submit a written complaint to the Department Chair and the grade appeal will be examined at that level. If there is still no satisfactory resolution to the grade grievance the complaint may be passed in writing to the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs. Students also have the right to appeal faculty decisions regarding remediation and termination. The student must submit a petition of appeal to the Department Chair within 10 working days of the notification of the remediation/termination decision. The petition is reviewed by the Departmental faculty and the appeal decision is communicated to the student within 14 days of the submission of the appeal. Further appeal may be made to the Associate Dean for Graduate 12

13 Programs. If dissatisfied with the Associate Dean's ruling, a written appeal to the Senate Committee on Academic Freedom and Responsibility of Students may be made. 13

14 APPENDIX A CURRICULUM OFFERINGS AND REQUIREMENTS PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS Biological Bases of Behavior (3 hours required) Psyc 7090* Physiological Psychology Human Learning/Cognitive and Affective Bases of Behavior (3 hours required) Psyc 7030 Cognitive Neuroscience Psyc 7470 Cognitive Psychology Social Bases of Behavior (3 hours required) Psyc 7000* Social Psychology Human Development/Individual Behavior (3 hours required) Psyc 7020* Developmental Psychology Human Exceptionality and Cultural Diversity (6 hours required) Psyc 7160* Children of Color Psyc 7400* Developmental Psychopathology Research Design and Statistics (15 hours required) Psyc 6620* Research Methods and Data Analysis in Behavioral Health Psyc XXX Research Colloquium (1-credit course) Psyc 6090* Univariate Statistics I (4-credit course) Psyc 6110* Intermediate Statistics (4-credit course) Psyc 6130 Multivariate Statistics Psyc 7450 Structural Equation Modeling History and Systems of Psychology (3 hours required) Psyc 6180* History and Systems DEVELOPMENTAL SPECIALIZATION (3 hours required) Psyc 7150 Psyc 7390 Advanced Adolescent Psychology Infancy PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY (4 hours required) Psyc 7230* Psyc 7680* Professional Issues in Psychology (1-credit course) Seminar in Professional School Psychology 14

15 PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS AND APPLICATIONS (21 hours required) Assessment Courses Psyc 7610* Psychological Assessment I: Cognitive and Academic Assessment Psyc 7620* Psychological Assessment II: Personality and Psychodiagnostic Assessment Psyc 7630* Behavioral and Cognitive Behavioral Intervention Intervention Courses Psyc 7690* School-Based Mental Health Psyc 7640 Family Therapy Psyc 7410 Crisis Intervention Psyc 7660* Evidence Based Interventions for Children Psyc 7810* School Consultation PRACTICUM (24 hours required) Psyc 7820* Practicum in School Psychology (register for eight consecutive semesters) EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS (6 hours required) Psyc XXX* Psyc XXX* Psyc 998 Psyc 999 Psyc 783* Educational Systems and Law Child Development and Early Education THESIS Master's Research (not assigned credit hours) DISSERTATION Dissertation Research (not assigned credit hours) INTERNSHIP School Psychology Internship (not assigned credit hours) NOTE: * denotes required courses 15

16 APPENDIX B EXPECTED COURSE SEQUENCE Fall Spring 7610 Psychological Assessment I 7610 Psychological Assessment II 7020 Developmental Psychology 7400 Developmental Psychopathology 6090 Univariate Statistics I 6110 Intermediate Statistics 7230 Professional Issues in Psychology (1-credit) 6620 Research Methods in Behavioral Health 7820 Practicum 7820 Practicum Fall Spring 7630 Behavioral Assessment and Intervention 7660 Cognitive Behavior Therapy 7160 Children of Color (even Falls) OR 7690 School Mental Health (odd Falls) 7810 School Consultation 6130 Multivariate Statistics 7090 Physio Psychology (even Springs) XXX Research Colloquium (1-credit with Oscar) 7640 Family Therapy (odd Springs) 7680 Prof. School Psych (odd Falls) 7820 Practicum 7820 Practicum Fall Spring 7160 Children of Color (even Falls) OR 7690 School Mental Health (odd Falls) 7090 Physio Psychology (even Springs) 7000 Social Psychology XXX Child Dev & Early Ed (even Springs) OR XXX Ed Systems & Law (odd Springs) 7680 Prof. School Psych (odd Falls) 6590 Stress and Trauma (some odd Springs) 7430 Crisis Intervention (even Falls) 7640 Family Therapy (odd Springs) 7150 Advanced Adolescence (odd Falls) 7820 Practicum 7470 Cognitive Psychology (even Falls) OR 7030 Cognitive Neuro (some odd Falls) 7820 Practicum Fall Spring 7450 Linear Structural Modeling XXX Child Dev & Early Ed (even Springs) OR XXX Ed Systems & Law (odd Springs) 7470 Cognitive Psychology (even Falls) OR 7030 Cognitive Neuro (some odd Falls) 7640 Family Therapy (odd Springs) 7800 Supervision 7390 Infancy 7430 Crisis Intervention (even Falls) 6180 History and Systems XXX Teaching Pedagogy 7820 Practicum 7820 Practicum Courses in italics represent choice points. You must take either Advanced Adolescence or Infancy to fulfill the developmental specialization requirement. You must take either Family Therapy or Crisis Intervention to fulfill the intervention requirement. You must take either Cognitive Psychology or Cognitive Neuroscience to fulfill the cognition/learning requirement. 16

17 APPENDIX C NOTIFICATION OF REGISTRATION FOR THE NATIONAL SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY EXAMINATION (NSPE) Name: Date: Year in program: Date of Thesis Defense: Date scheduled to take the National School Psychology Exam: I have made arrangements for the score report to be sent to Tulane: Yes No I have completed the research component of my preliminary exam: Yes No Student signature Program Director signature Date received 17

18 APPENDIX D NOTIFICATION OF THE TOPIC, FORMAT AND COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP FOR THE RESEARCH COMPONENT OF THE PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION Name: Date: Year in program: Date of Thesis Defense: Format of research component of prelim exam: NRSA grant proposal Comprehensive literature review Title of research paper or grant: 1-page abstract attached Committee Membership and signatures: Major Advisor (printed name) Major Advisor (signature) Committee Member (printed name) Committee Member (signature) Committee Member (printed name) Committee Member (signature) Committee Member (printed name) Committee Member (signature) 18

19 APPENDIX E EVALUATION OF STUDENT PRACTICUM PERFORMANCE 19

20 TULANE UNIVERSITY Evaluation of Student Practicum Performance Date/Term: Site Name: Student: Supervisor: In comparison to other students at a similar level of training, please rate the above named student on the following performance objectives using the descriptors below: Mastered Objective: Achieved Objective: Failed to Achieve Objective: Student demonstrated the performance objective 100% of the time. Student demonstrated the performance objective at least 80% of the time. Student demonstrated the performance objective less than 80% of the time. Not applicable Failed to Achieve Objective Achieved Objective Mastered Objective I. Professionalism A. Professional appearance and deportment B. Conscientious and attentive to detail C. Meets difficult situations with self-control D. Demonstrates good judgment E. Displays initiative and resourcefulness F. Communicates & listens effectively G. Is respectful & collegial in interactions with staff H. Establishes rapport with clients and continues to develop working alliances I. Works collaboratively with others J. Demonstrates awareness of sources of potential bias and influence on practices K. Demonstrates an awareness and respect for: cultural variations in practice multidisciplinary variations in practice X X II. Psychological Assessment Skills A. Engages in psychological assessment as a method of hypothesis testing 20

21 B. Follows guidelines for nondiscriminatory, reliable and valid assessment C. Competently selects, administers, & interprets tests Not applicable Failed to Achieve Objective Achieved Objective Mastered Objective D. Conducts: developmentally sensitive interviews culturally sensitive interviews ecologically sensitive interviews X X X E. Integrates data from multiple sources to inform case conceptualization and differential diagnosis F. Communicates assessment findings and recommendations in written and oral reports III. Prevention and Intervention Skills A. Understands the theoretical foundations and procedural strategies of various approaches to interventions B. Conceptualizes treatment goals and develops interventions based on assessment data and the scientific literature C. Understands the roles of surrounding ecological systems on intervention efforts D. Understands that change is mutually influenced by social, ecological, and developmental therapeutic interventions E. Selects, designs, and provides: culturally sensitive interventions developmentally sensitive interventions ecologically sensitive interventions X X X F. Evaluates treatment progress & effectiveness H. Follows ethical and legal guidelines in the provision of intervention services I. Promotes change to enhance the functioning of individuals and families J. Understands consultant role K. Gathers systematic data on acceptability and ecological validity to inform consultation plan L. Gathers systematic data on integrity and outcomes to evaluate consultation intervention M. Works effectively with consultee 21

22 IV. Supervision A. Reviews material prior to supervision and develops good questions B. Responds positively to supervision suggestions and demonstrates a willingness to learn C. Recognizes limits of competencies and expertise D. Initiates supervision regularly about diversity issues Not applicable Failed to Achieve Objective Achieved Objective Mastered Objective V. Comments A. Student's Strengths: B. Student's Weaknesses: C. Goals for Continued Professional Development: Evaluator's Signature: Student's Signature: Date: Date: (Student's signature indicates only that the evaluation has been discussed with the student) 22